Tidy up bamboos

1. Thin established clumps by cutting back weak culms (stems) every one to two years in early spring. Cut dead stems down to ground level using sharp secateurs. Removing around a quarter or a third should be enough to open up and revive the clump.2. To reduce the height of a bamboo, shorten each stem to the desired height, cutting just above a leaf node with branches. It doesn't want to look like a sheared off haircut gone wrong.3. Remove papery sheaths from species such as the black bamboo, Phyllostachys nigra, and Thamnocalamus, to reveal the coloured stems.